Can't wait to go back!

I was paired with the most amazing host family, who are growing dozens, if not hundreds of medicinal plants in their chakra (permaculture rainforest garden). I learned so much from them, and it was also a good learning experience to be volunteering with Amu Pakín, the Kichwa midwives association. There are also lots of botanical gardens you can go to that have information about medicinal plants. There’s so much to learn, I will definitely be coming back because in two months I barely scratched the surface! Of course, it was not all sunshine and rainbows, you have to know a good amount of Spanish to avoid communication problems, and going into the Amazon by yourself (or at least without anyone you know, Amazon Learning is still there for support) is not for the faint of heart. If you are staying with a host family, you should expect to be living rustic, and this sort of travel can be stressful. But if you are willing to overcome obstacles for this experience, it will definitely be worth it.